What did you do in your shop today?

[BruceK]

If any country has stats on how many people have became sick from contact with brake flaring tools it would be Germany. But somehow I imagine the number is 0.000%.  But I'm sure the Germans feel you can never be too careful.  ;D

[MiniDave]

Since I finished both Sprite transmissions, put the engine in the green car (which still won't stay running more than 5 seconds or so) finished the race engine (which worked fine) all I have left to do is finish the 998 automatic, so I started back in on it this afternoon by rebuilding the rocker arm assembly - new shaft, new rockers and clean everything up thoroughly.

Still need to set the cam timing before I put the head on for keeps and put the back end together. Once that's all done I'll pop it in the engine stand and see if it will make noise.

Dang it, just realized I forgot to send the header out to be ceramic coated. I have the old header I can use for test running, but I'll need to get this one sent out first thing Monday morning.

And _ I scored a brand new set of JCW shocks and springs that were new car take offs with maybe 50 miles on them for my blue Mini. It's getting real close to 100K miles now so I'm guessing it's due.

Oh - $50 for the set, front and rear!

[cstudep]

Nice score on the shocks! It's nice when a deal like that lands in your lap!

[MiniDave]

Good ol Facebook Marketplace..... 77.gif

[jedduh01]

Took a vacation at the end of April = Worked remotely from St Thomas for 1 week + Vacation the second week. so the garage got closed down for a bit but that didn't stop the projects.

  In St Thomas - built an outdoor shower for the house ( Best place to shower now )

     Friends boat battery shorted ( hot as a fire cracker) almost left us stranded in the Caribbean Ocean.   Gave one last crank to let us MOTOR directly home to dock.
   2 new Deep cycle batteries + and a new link cable (which was a story in itself to find) fixed it up.

Mother in law also hit a tree with the borrowed car, had to pull a dent and replace the mirror assembly.

Now home ,  Have an MPI mini in from a friend. to which, the sub frame mounts are broken, that shifted around and cracked out the inner fender liner.. Loose nose So I have patch welded that back together.
  New subframe mounts to install when they arrive , along with some other small maintenance things.

Actually started + got out my 63 mini . Havn't had it out in over a year= Fuel tank was dry ( evaporated i guess) but was  a good thing.. added gas = fired right up... Did find a mouse nest in boot, and the bastards chewed up my headiner ( super frustrating) but i cant complain for free parking at my Mother in laws garage. That then lead to a small local british car gathering.  Lunch out + a beer at the brewery. a  "normal' Saturday out.

started a whiteboard with people on the list for who's next to the garage.

MGB needs a clutch.
Volvo needs AC Evaporator replaced ( pulling the dash )
personal car upkeep...

yea , it never stops.

[MiniDave]

The last one is the hardest to do, isn't it? Everyone else's cars seem to come first!

[Red Riley]

Gave Kreacher a new set of headlight bulbs for his birthday. He was built 53 years ago today.

[MiniDave]

Laser?

[MPlayle]

Dave,

Here is the manufacturer's website page for that model of bulb:
https://www.osram.com/ecat/NIGHT%20BREAKER%20LASER-Halogen%20headlight%20lamps-Car%20lighting-Automotive/com/en/GPS01_3043435/ZMP_4057695/

They are made with something called "laser ablation technology".

[BruceK]

.

[jeff10049]

...

[BruceK]

That would be a cool poster to hang in the garage. Or even in a house.

[MiniDave]

Not exactly in my shop, but somewhat related.....

The guy I built the Sprite race motor for does remodeling, so he's working up an estimate for me to remodel one of our bathrooms. Yesterday we went to the tile shop and I picked out tile for the floor.

The bride has gone on a spring fling kick in the house, time to move all the furniture around into different rooms, up stairs and down and between the two - oh and paint everything while the furniture is out. To that end we've been successfully getting rid of a lot of old furnishings we don't need or want - mostly on Craigslist.

So, I've been trying to do the same in the shop (see how I segued there?) by re-organizing, putting stuff away and so on. I use clear bins to store Mini parts, labeled as "engine", "transmission", "suspension" and so on, which almost guarantees I'll never be able to find anything again, and will wind up ordering three of something I already have five of somewhere......and I've been throwing out or giving to the metal scrap guy lots of old Mini parts that I'll never use and really have no value to others because new ones cost less than fixing up the old ones.

I'm trying hard not to be a Mini hoarder.....

[Willie_B]

I have never done brake tube flares before so I have no faith that I did it good. So now I can check using air.

[MiniDave]

Are you doing double or bubble flares?

That's a good idea to pressurize the system and check for leaks....just spray a little soapy water at all the fittings and look for bubbles? If you have a shut off valve in there you can air it up and lock it off and see if it leaks the pressure down?

[Willie_B]

Are you doing double or bubble flares?

Whatever is stock. Bubble?

[MiniDave]

Double is what it would have had originally, newer cars have bubble flares which are backward compatible - but doubles are not compatible with cars that require bubble flares.

https://www.rtsauto.com/brake-lines-for-bmws-and-e30s-the-bubble-flare-not-the-double-flare/

[cstudep]

Never enjoyed doing brake lines, at least not until I started using the nickel/copper brake line. Flaring it and routing it are a piece of cake, and it won't rust away in no time like the replacement steel lines seem to.

[tsumini]

Are you doing double or bubble flares?

That's a good idea to pressurize the system and check for leaks....just spray a little soapy water at all the fittings and look for bubbles? If you have a shut off valve in there you can air it up and lock it off and see if it leaks the pressure down?

bled
I think Willie b's test setup has a shrader valve so no need for shutoff valve. Pressureize and see if it holds 60 psi for an hour or so. Works good for leak checking assembled brake pipes on front and rear subframes before installing in car. Then all there is left is two places connecting the two subframes.
When I did mine I ordered pre made pipes but when they arrived they were double flare.  Bubble flare pipes were original. I questioned parts  source and they assured me that doubles would work. They did if I wrenched hard enough but was not not comfortable with that so I took all the new ones and cut off the double flares and reflared into bubble. Most were long enough i could do that.
Note: coat flare surface with beeswax before flaring. Beeswax is a lubricant and will prevent work hardening and cracking.

[94touring]

Pulled the bus motor in 30 minutes flat to swap out oil components that keep leaking.  Also discovered my mini has a carb issue and won't stay running unless the choke is pulled.  I can't get ahead if more stuff breaks than I can fix!  Then work added 2 hour short call for the next couple days so I rushed home and hopped on a flight to Dallas.  Hoping to fly back home Thursday unless they keep converting my long call to short call.

[tsumini]

Back when I first acquired my 60 Austin (about 2012) it was missing the engine. I did buy two 850 engines hoping to get one good one. At the same time I saw a chopped up Morris mini front end on Craigslist that was an early 1960. It was used intown parades and had no title. I bought it thinking that the engine (running) would be period correct for the 60 Austin. Turns out the car is about June or  July build and fairly close to my Jan 60 Austin. I was going to use it but it had burned valves so I took the head off.
Meanwhile I decided to have my brother build an engine with the two I had acquired earlier. Wasn't sure of the condition of the Morris (lotsa sludge in the oil) cylinders looked pretty decent so had the head rebuilt. Got it running well and left it in the Front End Morris and robbed a few parts that were missing from the Austin and let it sit until recently.
I decided that  I would sell  the Austin and offer this engine in case the new owner wanted more period correct, (current engine in Austin is about 1962 I think.)
So for the last week or two I've put all the original parts back on and cranked her up. Runs good but I had thrown away the exhaust downpipe so it is loud.
Starter,Dynamo, distributor and radiator are original I believe since they are dated 5/60. Carb has brass Damper cover.
Video is cold start and warm up. Photo is from Craiglist photo.
https://youtu.be/_-a_nX5msm4

[Willie_B]

I just bought a BMW. Plan to save the carbon fiber wheels for my mtn bike.

[cstudep]

I bought a tig welder a while back and finally had some time to play with it. This was the first time I have ever tig welded and the first time I have ever welded aluminum. I find tig welding to feel more natural to me than mig, I think its the slower more deliberate and precise nature of the process. I know i have a lot to learn but looking at some others first attempts I guess its not terrible.

[BruceK]

I'm no expert but that looks pretty darn good for a first attempt! 

[MiniDave]

Is that aluminum in the pic? To weld aluminum (and steel too) it needs to be clean, but aluminum is especially sensitive since it oxidizes in air.

Looks like light penetration to me, either you need to turn the amps up and/or mover slower. It's a good start tho....find some YouTube vids and watch them several times, then all you can do is practice....

I know a lot of guys prefer Tig over Mig, I guess it's what you're used to. I've done MiG, Tig, gas and arc (stick) welding and by far to me MiG is the easiest and quickest way to stick two pieces of metal together.

Unless you're trying to weld really thick stuff - for that you need arc where you can put a LOT of heat thru the thickness.

Mig is great for general welding, TiG is really good for thin tubing and sheet metal.